Lyonsgate Update Oct. 15, 2021: Parent Webinar and Staff News
Hello Lyonsgate Families,
We hope you all enjoyed your long weekend and had the chance to spend some great time with family. There are a few items to update you all on this week.
Free Parent Webinar
The Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators (CCMA) is offering a free webinar for parents on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 6:00 p.m. The topic is "Montessori Education & Inclusion - Do the pieces fit?" a webinar exploring the opportunity to include students with disabilities in Montessori schools. The webinar and a copy of the report are free but you must register in advance. For more information and how to register please click here.
Primary Buzz
With the children's return after the long weekend, the Primary campus has been abuzz with stories of Thanksgiving, the food enjoyed, and the highly anticipated visits with family. It has created lots of wonderful conversations amongst the children. Interest in pumpkins is certainly starting to appear as they anxiously await the next "celebration" of the month, with special requests for pumpkin songs.
Staff News
This year we have a new Learning Resource Specialist at Lyonsgate: Kim Fiocca. Kim has been working at the Elementary campus and starting next week will be also be working at the Primary campus. Kim joins us with a wealth of experience in her field and in Montessori learning environments. Kim will be working directly with Lyonsgate students, parents, and Montessori guides to ensure that students with diverse learning styles receive the services, accommodations, and educations they deserve, as well engaging with all students in their classrooms and during outdoor times.
Joining Kim at the Primary campus on a more regular basis will be Jason, who has been working out of the Elementary campus for the last few years. This will give us the opportunity to have our entire admin team together at one location.
These moves are made possible by the addition of Caitlin Pace to the Elementary campus as a program assistant. We'll have more details about Caitlin for you soon.
Elementary Update and Photo Day Reminder
Speaking of the Elementary program, Montessori Guide Marissa Achong has an update for you all about the great work the Elementary students have been engaged with so far this year:
Through these first six weeks of school, the Elementary students have embarked upon the course set out by the Great Lessons: exploring the creation of the universe, the elements, and an introduction to the laws of physics; the emergence of life, the evolution of species, and the development of hominins; and an introduction to our human history, with its great discoveries and innovations. This week, Michelle shared the Story of Communication in Signs, guiding students to imagine how humans first began to write, from petroglyphs and pictographs, to hieroglyphs, to the development of different alphabets.
Remember Elementary parents, photo day for Elementary students is on Monday, Oct. 18. Photos will be taken outside so Tuesday, Oct. 19, is the rain date.
You can always find up to date information about events throughout the school year on the calendar at lyongate.ca, under the "Parents" tab.
Have a wonderful fall weekend everyone.
Long Weekend Update: Someone's Getting Married
Have a great long weekend Lyonsgate families!
Lyonsgate is closed on Friday, Oct. 8 (PD Day) and on Monday, Oct. 11 (Thanksgiving holiday).
(Please find a message from Hamilton Public Health about safe gatherings attached to the email of this post)
A Couple of School Notes:
- No Parent Observations: parent observations were on the calendar for November; unfortunately, we have had confirmation from Hamilton Public Health that we will not be able to welcome parents into the classroom yet.
- Elementary Photo Day: Elementary school photos will be taken on Monday, Oct. 18. The photo-taking will take place outdoors so there is a rain date of Tuesday, Oct. 19. (Note: Primary campus photo day details to come).
New Names and Faces:
- New, Returning Elementary French Assistant: Anne Prat Kalonji, who previously worked as the Elementary French assistant, will be returning to that role at the Elementary campus when we return from the long weekend on Tuesday, Oct. 12. Welcome back Anne!
- Ms. Doherty has a New Name: Casa North's Ms. Doherty is getting married this weekend! When we return to school on Tuesday congratulations are in order, and Ms. Doherty will now be known as Ms. O'Sullivan.
Thank you all for your diligence and care with the ongoing COVID protocols so far this year. Enjoy some much deserved time with your wonderful children and families this weekend, and we'll see you on Tuesday, Oct. 12.
Lyonsgate Update, Sept. 24 2021
Hello Lyonsgate Families,
A short update for you this week with reminders about sick students, fall weather and ventilation, and Parent Education events for Casa and Toddler families next Thursday.
Please do not send children to school when they are sick.
A few symptoms were removed from the provincial COVID-19 screening tool this school year (runny noses, sore throats, and fatigue). Please remember that even if a child passes the screening they should not come to school if they are sick. Hamilton Public Health provides a table of various, non-COVID-related illnesses that require students to stay home from school, and for how long.
You can find the illness exclusion table on the school website here: https://lyonsgate.ca/sick-children-info/ (it is under the "Parents" tab).
Please also remember to complete the required COVID-19 screening form each morning before you arrive to drop off students at school, using the forms linked to on the Home page at lyonsgate.ca.
Fall Weather
The temperature seems to have dropped as soon as the calendar turned to fall. Windows in all classrooms will remain open throughout the year for increased ventilation as part our layered COVID mitigation approach, so at least a cozy sweater or cardigan is helpful for those moments and places in the classroom when a cool draft may be blowing through.
Please remember to also check the weather forecast each day to ensure students have appropriate outdoor weather gear.
Thank you.
Primary Campus Parent Education
Next Thursday, Sept. 30, the Casa and Toddler Montessori guides will be hosting online Parent Education events. These are great opportunities for you to learn more about the Montessori education you have chosen for your children.
- Toddler: 4:00-5:00 p.m. You will be learning about your child's "Sensitive Period of Order."
- Casa (combined): 5:00-6:00 p.m. You will be learning about the role and importance of "Independence in Montessori."
Your children's Montessori guides will send Zoom links closer to the date.
Have a fantastic weekend everyone.
Public Health and Truth and Reconciliation Info
Hello Lyonsgate Community,
We have a few updates for you this week from Hamilton Public Health, and some information about the upcoming National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.
Public Health Updates
- Validation of screening will continue to be required until at least the end of October. No changes to what you are already doing; please continue to complete the relevant screening form(s) found on the Home page of lyonsgate.ca before arriving to school each day.
- Public Health also informed us that they may add symptoms to the screening form if they deem it necessary (for example, York region public health has put runny noses back on their screening forms).
- Next week, you will also find a new Return Attestation Form on the Home page. This form must be completed any time a child who has failed screening, or who is sent home from school with symptoms, is ready to return to school.
Everything related to COVID-19 protocols is available on the Home page of lyonsgate.ca, including:
- screening forms
- COVID-19 Supplemental Parent Handbook
- direct links to Sick Child at Home and Sick Child at School Decision Charts from Hamilton Public Health
- Child and Youth Mental Health Support resources from Hamilton Public Health
- COVID-19 test booking link
- Lyonsgate COVID-19 Advisory Page (where we are required to post any positive case information)
- And, sometime next week, the new Return Attestation form.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
The National Day Truth and Reconciliation is Thursday, September 30. Truth and Reconciliation Day is a federal statutory holiday in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which calls “upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.”
At the Primary campus (Casa and Toddler) the City of Hamilton has provided a resource called "Honouring Our Children/Every Child Matters" developed by staff from Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg. As part of this resource, we have been provided orange shirts for each child that we will be sending home on September 29 that your child may wear to school on September 30, if you wish. (All of the shirts are youth size small so may fit quite large on some students). Primary staff completed training on the Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg resource on the PD day this week, and we were also provided a lovely collection of books that will be available and read in the classrooms.
Elementary students will be engaged in discussions about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and orange shirts in advance of September 30. While we will not ask staff or students to wear orange shirts, staff and students who want to are very welcome! We want the students who do so to have chosen to do it themselves so as to make it a meaningful choice.
Student Vote
Elementary students will be participating in the Student Vote on Election Day on Monday, Sept. 20. Make sure you all get out to vote too!
Have a great weekend everyone.
Updates from Lyonsgate
Hello Lyonsgate Families,
We are so excited that another school year is about to begin. The staff are busy setting up the classrooms and getting ready to warmly welcome your children into their care. While we would have liked a “normal” return to the school year we realize the world is far from that, and we hope you will understand the special circumstances that we all find ourselves in to keep the children, your families, and the community as safe as possible. Thank you for your adaptability in all of this, and most of all, thank you for entrusting your most precious children into our care. We look forward to continuing to build relationships with you, and thank you for allowing us the pleasure of watching your child grow to their full potential. Here is to a wonderful year ahead!
Sarah (Miss Kennedy).
COVID-19 Protocol Changes
As we approach the beginning of the school year we are receiving regular updates to COVID-19 protocols from both the Ministry of Education and Hamilton Public Health Services. Significantly, there have been changes to the daily screening form and procedure.
We are now required to "validate" screening every day for the first two weeks of school (for now; Public Health expects this to be extended). For returning families, this will work the same as last year when you completed the campus-specific online screening form prior to arrival and we confirmed your submission upon arrival. For new parents, on Tuesday, September 7, the provincial screening tool on the Home page at lyonsgate.ca will be replaced with three Lyonsgate forms that mirror the provincial tool: Primary campus screening form, Elementary campus screening form, and a staff and visitor screening form. You are required to complete the relevant screening form each day after 5:00 a.m. and before you arrive at school. Once submitted we will be able to see that you have done so upon arrival. At this point, temperatures are not required to be taken upon arrival.
The screening forms have also changed with the addition of some new questions, changes to procedures if screening is failed, and the removal of a number of symptoms that previously required exclusion from school. Students are no longer screened for: sore throat, runny nose, headache, and extreme tiredness or muscle aches. The "Lyonsgate COVID-19 Exclusion of Sick Children and Staff Policy and Procedures" will be updated soon to reflect the symptom changes, and Public Health will be providing updated decision charts that guide parents and school staff when children are ill.
Pandemic or not, please do not send children to school when they are ill.
Hamilton Public Health hosted an information session for schools on Wednesday and we can tell you that other changes will come in the following areas:
- Staff vaccination disclosure: This requirement was announced on August 17 and we were told by Public Health, on Thursday, Sept. 2, to: "Please note: The ministry is working on a guide and sample policy to support licensees in implementing the proposed policy. Further details about the proposed policy, testing strategy, and reporting expectations will be communicated in the coming weeks." All Lyonsgate staff members will be required to disclose their vaccination status to the school and undergo regular testing and attend an approved education program if not vaccinated. Lyonsgate will not disclose the vaccination status of any staff member.
- Contact management and outbreak management: This covers contact tracing, what will happen if there are any confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in the school community, and if Public Health declares an outbreak at the school. We have been told to expect this update by mid-September.
PD Day Clarity
You will notice on the school calendar that there are a number of PD days early in the year. Mostly, these affect ONLY the Primary campus which is unavailable to Lyonsgate during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
The Lyonsgate Primary campus (Aberdeen: Casa and Toddler) will be closed on Sept. 7 and 8 (Sept. 9 is the first day of school for returning students at Primary) and will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 16 (Yom Kippur).
Schedules
We will be continuing with separate arrival and pick-up times for each Casa classroom, and a separate pick-up period for the Toddler class. There have been changes to the Elementary arrival and pick-up times and procedures. The daily schedules are as follows:
Toddler Class
8:00 – 8:30: Group 1. Eligible workers and staff students, and Casa North siblings.
8:30 – 9:00: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.
Toddler students will be greeted by a Toddler staff member at screening and will enter the building using the grey door off the parking lot.
3:00 – 3:30: Dismissal from the playground.
Casa North
8:00 – 8:15: Group 1. Arrival for eligible workers and staff students.
8:15 – 8:30: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.
3:30 – 4:00: Dismissal from the playground.
Casa South
8:30 – 8:45: Group 1. Arrival for eligible workers and staff students.
8:45 – 9:00: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.
4:00 – 4:30: Dismissal from the playground.
After screening, All Casa students will proceed to the main school doors or playground via the main walkway on the east side of the building.
Elementary
8:00-8:30: Registered Before School Care.
8:30-8:45: Arrival/screening for all students.
Screening upon arrival will take place on the front porch.
3:30-3:45: Dismissal and pick-up from back yard.
3:30-4:30: Registered After School Care (pick up from front porch).
Online Orientation Sessions
Each Casa class and the Toddler class will be hosting online orientation sessions on Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 12:00-1:00 p.m. A Zoom link will be sent to each class's parents that day.
Elementary Montessori guide Marissa will be hosting an online Orientation for Elementary families on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 15, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. A Zoom link will be sent to all Elementary families that day.
Thank you, and see you all in the coming weeks.
School Year Update from Lyonsgate Montessori
Hello Lyonsgate Families,
We know you are all anxiously awaiting information about the upcoming school year. We have received information from the Ministry of Education and Hamilton Public Health and can now tell you about some of the changes and requirements for the coming 2021.2022 school year at Lyonsgate Montessori School.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to impact regular school operations, although there are changes to some requirements. Here are the highlights, but please take the time to review the "COVID-19 Supplemental Parent Handbook."
Please Note: the information below may change as we receive further information, clarifications, or revisions from the Ministry of Education and/or Hamilton Public Health Services.
Masks: mask requirements for students at both campuses will be the same as last year with the exception of outdoors. Masks no longer need to be worn outdoors. See the "Lyonsgate COVID-19 Mask and PPE Policy and Procedure" in the "COVID-19 Supplemental Parent Handbook" for details.
Screening: parents are still required to complete screening for each child, each morning before bringing students to school. Please use the Provincial COVID-19 School Screening Tool to self-screen children each day. A link to the screening tool is available on the Home page at https://lyonsgate.ca/ . Temperatures are no longer required to be taken prior to entry.
If you bring your child to school at either Lyonsgate campus, it is assumed you have completed and passed self-screening every day prior to arrival.
Pandemic or not, please do not send children to school if they are unwell.
Illness/Exclusion: strict exclusion rules are still in effect for children who are ill or who become ill at school. Be prepared for children to be home from school more frequently than usual. Siblings of sick children must also be excluded. See the "Lyonsgate COVID-19 Exclusion of Sick Children/Staff Policy and Procedures" document in the "COVID-19 Supplemental Parent Handbook" for more detailed information.
Staggered Starts and Dismissals: We will be continuing with separate arrival and pick-up times for each Casa classroom, a separate pick-up period for the Toddler class, and staggered arrival and dismissal groups for Elementary. The daily schedules are as follows:
Toddler Class
8:00 – 8:30: Group 1. Eligible workers and staff students, and Casa North siblings.
8:30 – 9:00: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.
3:00 – 3:30: Dismissal from the playground.
Casa North
8:00 – 8:15: Group 1. Arrival for eligible workers and staff students.
8:15 – 8:30: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.
3:30 – 4:00: Dismissal from the playground.
Casa South
8:30 – 8:45: Group 1. Arrival for eligible workers and staff students.
8:45 – 9:00: Group 2. Arrival for remainder of cohort.
4:00 – 4:30: Dismissal from the playground.
Elementary
8:00-9:00: Staggered drop-off groups. Detailed group lists to come.
3:30-4:00: Dismissal from backyard and front porch.
4:00-4:30: Pick-up of after school care students.
Mandatory Staff Vaccinations or Testing
This was announced earlier this week and details are still to come. All Lyonsgate staff will be required to provide disclosure of full vaccination status or undergo regular testing if not vaccinated. Lyonsgate will not share the vaccination status of any employee.
Calendar
Remember to check the Lyonsgate calendar regularly for up to date information. An updated printable calendar will be attached to the email version of this post (we got the February PD day/Family Day holiday dates wrong on the first version).
Vaccinations
Vaccination continues to be the most effective means of getting the virus under control. Please visit the City of Hamilton’s vaccine information website at https://www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-resources.
Their vaccine hotline is another resource that is available to everyone at 905-974-9848 ext. 7
More to come
We know you may have questions not answered here. Please be patient. You will receive more information soon about things like orientation visits for new students and their families, and specific classroom information from your children's Montessori guides.
Enjoy these last few weeks of summer vacation with your wonderful children. We can't wait to see them and hear all of their summer adventure stories.
Year End and Youth Vaccination Info
I wanted to take this time to really thank each and every one of you for putting your trust in us this year. It has been quite a year, lots of handwashing, cleaning, learning to put masks on and off safely and new words for all of us, like "cohorts!" We have gotten through it all with grace and dignity and always with the utmost respect for the child. We are looking forward to next year with anticipation of a little more normalcy. Enjoy your summer and we look forward to seeing you and your child again in September.
Warmly,
Rachel
Important Dates:
Thursday, June 24 is the last day of school.
- In-person students at the Primary campus will have a full day following the regular hours and schedule.
- Remote learning Elementary students and families: you have received a separate email with some schedule changes for the last week of school, and information about the last day.
Monday, June 21, 8:00 - 11:15 is Elementary material return and personal item pick up.
- Elementary students are asked to please return all materials that were distributed for remote learning such as math materials (including bead bar sets), as well as their binders and pencil cases (with contents), largely incomplete notebooks, novels, and any other Lyonsgate materials.
- All personal items that remain at the school (indoor shoes, water bottles, abandoned sweaters, books, etc.) can also be picked up at that time. We will prepare everyone's remaining personal items from their cloakroom area, but if there is anything specific you would like us to make sure is included, please email jason@lyonsgate.ca. Unclaimed shoes, sweaters, water bottles, and such will be donated over the summer.
Vaccinations for Children
Although Lyonsgate students are under the age of 12, there may be older siblings or other family members who may benefit from the following information we have been asked to share with you. The Provincial government has published a COVID-19 Vaccines for Youth webpage that includes information about vaccines, how to book appointments, and other relevant information.
Hamilton Public Health has provided the following:
There are many convenient ways youth can receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Hamilton
including large-scale clinics, mobile pop-up vaccine clinics, pharmacy clinics, family and
youth-friendly clinics being held between June 15-28, and community-based and led
mobile vaccination clinics for specific populations. Eligible family members who have
not received a vaccination are encouraged to book an appointment to attend a
vaccination clinic.Within coming days, there will be more information at www.hamilton.ca/YouthVaccine,
including information on how to access vaccinations for youth who are homebound for
medical reasons and for those requiring additional supports.Information regarding how to book an appointment and answers to frequently
asked questions regarding youth COVID-19 vaccination can be found at
www.hamilton.ca/YouthVaccine.
Thank you all for your support, patience, understanding, and commitment to keeping the Lyonsgate community safe and healthy throughout this very unusual school year. Have great, safe, and full o' fun summer vacation. Fingers crossed for a much more normal school experience in the fall.
Ontario Parent Survey
McMaster University’s Offord Centre for Child Studies is conducting a follow-up Ontario Parent Survey. The initial survey took place 3 months into the pandemic.
Both studies general themes focus on the well-being and health of children and parents/caregivers,
family stressors, family relations, and how COVID has had an impact on individuals and families.“This follow-up study will help inform community practice on how to assist families through these
very challenging times, now and in the future,” said lead researcher Andrea Gonzalez, Associate Professor and Tier II Canada Research Chair in Family Health and Preventive Interventions.. “Given the findings of this survey may be used to inform service provision and the development of family resources, it is important to hear from families that reflect the diverse range of races, ethnicities, socio-economic status, and family structures of which the province is composed.”
Please access the survey at: https://ontarioparentsurvey.ca
The survey takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.
Parent-Teacher Conference Info
Hello Lyonsgate Families,
This upcoming Friday, May 21, is a PD day leading into the Victoria Day long weekend. Lyonsgate will be closed on Friday, May 21, and on Monday, May 24. In-person at the Primary campus (Aberdeen Casa and Toddler) and remote learning for Elementary students will be closed on both days.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
The next PA day is Friday, June 4, for Parent-Teacher conferences. Both campuses — in-person at Primary and remote for Elementary — will be closed to students. Parent-Teacher conferences will take place via Zoom. See below for instructions on how to connect with your child's Montessori guide; an emailed version of this post will contain the guides' Zoom Personal Meeting ID (PMI) numbers and passcodes.
Click here to schedule your 20 minute Parent-Teacher conference.
How to connect:
- You will need to have the Zoom app installed on the device you are using to connect. Open the Zoom app and click on "Join":
2. Enter the Montessori guide's PMI number and click "Join":
3. Enter the Montessori guide's Passcode and click "Join Meeting":
4. You will be placed into the Montessori guide's "Waiting Room" and will be let into the meeting at your selected time.
To keep everyone on schedule, please limit your conference to the selected 20-minute timeslot. Thank you.
Lyonsgate Update: Post-April Break Information
Hello Lyonsgate Families,
Below are the details we know regarding the Elementary campus closure and other information related to the ongoing pandemic response. As you know, case numbers are escalating and new measures are being announced frequently. As of Friday afternoon, April 16:
- Elementary campus is closed indefinitely. Elementary families have received their children's online learning schedules and groups. Material pick-up will take place on Monday, April 19, at the Elementary campus, between 9:00-3:00.
- Primary campus remains open to all students. All students in the Toddler and Casa programs can continue to attend school. (Note: there was some confusion as various pieces of government communication stated child care will remain open only for children ages 0-3.8 years; we have received confirmation from both the Ministry of Education and from the City of Hamilton that ALL children registered in Lyonsgate's Casa and Toddler programs can continue to attend school).
- Emergency child care available for eligible workers: Families of Elementary children who fall under one of the categories of "Eligible Workers" can register for free emergency child care. From the City:
City of Hamilton will be reactivating our emergency child care plan effective April 19. This means that eligible health care and essential frontline workers will qualify for free emergency child care for school-age children. We will be taking the same approach that we did during the last emergency closure period.
All emergency child care will be operated by the three licensed home child care agencies, given the smaller group sizes and reduced risk in these settings. We are not considering emergency child care in centre-based locations at this time. We anticipate that the list of eligible workers will remain the same and will be posted on the City’s website at www.hamilton.ca/childcare once confirmed by the province.
To apply for emergency child care, eligible families may contact one of the three licensed home child care agencies at the below contact information:
-
Today’s Family, childcare@todaysfamily.ca, (905) 574-9344 ext. 112
-
Wee Watch Galbraith, wee_watch@hotmail.com, (905) 561-0008
-
Wee Watch Golfwood, julie@weewatch.com, (905) 574-5409 ext. 203
Click here to view the updated Eligible Worker List.
Thank you everyone. We are in the most severe conditions of the pandemic. Please continue to adhere to all public health measures so we can keep each other safe and healthy, and return to in-person schooling.